ST. LOUIS—After scoring 21 runs in the first two games against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Orioles were poised for a three-game sweep. Their chances looked good since the Cardinals were planning a bullpen game, but things didn’t work out very well for the Orioles.
Oriole starter Trevor Rogers allowed six runs in five innings, and the Orioles lost to the Cardinals, 7-5, before 20,723 at Busch Stadium on Thursday.
The Orioles (65-69) are three games behind Cleveland, which didn’t play, for the third and final wild-card spot.
After winning two of three from the Cardinals (66-69), the Orioles head to Sacramento to play three games against the Athletics, who have the second-worst record in the American League, and three more at Colorado, which has the worst record in the NL.
“I think we’ve been playing some good baseball, and just want to keep that up,” Coby Mayo said. “Obviously, you want to win every game possible, just because of the spot we’re in right now. You’re trying to win every game. Losses aren’t great right now. But if you win two out of three for a few series in a row, you’re going to have a lot of wins and you’re going to make some ground up.”
Blaze Jordan hit a three-run home run against Rogers (9-9) in the second, and former Orioles infielder Ramón Urías hit a two-run home run in the fourth. Alec Burleson’s infield out in the fifth scored José Fermín.
Rogers allowed six runs on seven hits, striking out seven with one walk. The two home runs allowed tied a season high.
“I thought I pitched really well,” Rogers said. “I was attacking the zone the way I wanted to. Just lately, the homers have been killing me. I’m going to give up base hits, that’s baseball. The damage lately has just been the homers. Try to figure out how to get the ball on the ground more consistently. I wouldn’t change a whole lot other than that.”
Gordon Graceffo retired the first nine Orioles. Justin Bruihl allowed one run on two hits in 1 2/3 innings. Colton Cowser’s sacrifice fly in the fifth scored Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who doubled.
Luis Gastelum (4-3) retired each of the four batters he faced.
Mayo hit a three-run home run that traveled 446 feet against left-hander Caleb Ferguson in the seventh that cut the Orioles’ deficit to 6-4. It was Mayo’s 18th of the season.
Encarnacion-Strand also singled in the seventh. He was 8-for-14 with five RBIs in the three games.
The Orioles got within one run in the eighth. Jackson Holliday led off with a single against George Soriano. He stole second, and scored on Gunnar Henderson’s double to left-center. Samuel Basallo lined to Soriano, who threw to third, and Henderson was called out.
“If his first instinct is to freeze and get back, that’s the better play,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “But the biggest one is where you kind of just concede the out. But also knowing that with Sammy up, lefty, third baseman shading in the six-hole, it’s a foot race to beat Blaze there, which he almost did.
“So it’s one of those things where, going back I wish his read was the initial one, but also his aggressiveness could have caused some havoc, as well.”
Henderson was 2-for-13 in the series, and his RBI was his first since August 14th and first that didn’t come off a home run since July 31st.
Nolan Church’s RBI single against Anthony Nunez scored Urías and gave the Cardinals a 7-5 lead after eight. Nunez had two strikes on Urías before throwing four straight balls and then a wild pitch to put Urías in scoring position with two outs.
Riley O’Brien pitched a scoreless ninth for his 34th save.
What’s been wrong with Rogers? Rogers allowed six or more runs for the fifth time this season, the most by an Oriole starter since Matt Harvey had six in 2021. He’s allowed a home run in five straight starts.
“It was just two mistakes — the changeup for the home run, and then the one to Urias, the two-seamer down the middle and put a good swing on it,” Albernaz said. “Those were the biggest blows.”
Rogers’ ERA is 4.38.
“I think there’s a difference between strikes and quality strikes,” he said. “I think I haven’t been really good at getting chase, so I’m trying to get swing-and-miss in the zone and really go at it. I love quality strikes and good location. Sometimes I’m going to miss.
“Hit some good pitches, and I’m not going to go about changing the way I pitch just because I had a bad outing today. I’m going to keep doing what I do and command the strike zone and really doing quality pitches each inning.”
How is Mayo hitting? Mayo’s home run was the second longest of the season in St. Louis. It was his fifth three-run home run.
Fourteen of his 17 home runs have come against left-handers, and he has more home runs against lefties than singles (13).
“I think my swing is kind of meant to put the ball in the air,” he said. “I think that’s a good thing. I think if I was hitting a bunch of singles against lefties, it wouldn’t be great. I’m a power hitter.
“You have to put the ball over the fence or put the ball into the gap or get on second base. Extra-base hits are great, singles are great, getting on base is great, but when I’m hitting the ball pure off the barrel, my swing is meant to hit the ball in the air, so when I hit it on the barrel, ball’s in the air, usually equals homer.”
What does it mean? The Orioles need to win at least two of three in their series with the Athletics and Rockies to keep afloat.
What’s the stat of the day? 4. Pete Alonso struck out four times.
What’s the word? “The process kind of stays the same, just as if it’s in the fifth, sixth, seventh inning in a normal game facing a relief pitcher. Look at the report, make a plan and go into the at-bat and stick to that plan.”-Mayo on facing relievers throughout the game.
What’s next? Brandon Young (9-3, 3.50) will start for the Orioles when they open a three-game series with the Athletics in Sacramento on Friday at 9:40 p.m. The Athletics have not named a starter.
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